Note

1971 THE ASCENT TO HEAVEN 263 in education is a failure, that mankind can manipulate power but not itself, that the gods have not yet created a race that can understand. He willingly withdraws from Cleopatra's human world of Egypt to Rome, that is, to his death. Shaw's elaborate speculation about the creating of "a race that can understand" in his next important play, Man and Superman, marks the beginning of the second phase of his career and lies beyond the scope of this study. Though even here, glancing briefly ahead, we see the pattern continuing with John Tanner-speechmaker, committed reformer, and clown-remaining on earth to perpetuate life while his alter ego Don Juan Tenorio rejects the hell of love and beauty to ascend to that heaven of intellectual contemplation toward which so many Shavian heroes turn. Robert Brustein, who understands the dichotomy in Shaw's work, maintains that his "socio-political-philosophical " aspirations impose "crucial restrictions on his art" by blocking the expression of its negative aspect.10 I suggest, on the contrary, that Shaw's art is made up precisely of the conflict between these elements and that it draws its strength, as well as its weakness, from the tension which they generate. ARTHUR GANZ NOTE A new journal, The Journal of Irish Literature) will make its first appearance in January, 1972. The January numbers will be devoted to individual authors, and the May and September numbers will sometimes be literary and critical miscellanies of a general nature, and sometimes will be devoted to specific topics. The January, 1972, number will be concerned with Paul Vincent Carroll. Communications should be addressed to The Journal at Irish Literature P.O. Box 361 Newark, Delaware 19711 10 The Theatre of Revolt (New York, 1962), p. 209. ...